BRUSSELS -- Somalia's government and international donors will sign up to a three-year plan on Monday to rebuild the violence-torn country, backed by pledges of new funding that EU officials hope could reach more than one billion euros (819.1 million pounds).
The Brussels conference is aimed at consolidating fragile security gains in Somalia after two decades of civil war and lawlessness triggered by the overthrow of President Siad Barre in 1991.
Nick Westcott, a senior EU diplomat dealing with Africa, said Monday's conference would be a "milestone in terms of the political reconstruction of Somalia".
"We are beginning to see after 20 years of conflict Somalia pulling itself together," he told reporters.
The 28-nation EU is the largest donor to Somalia and helps fund the African Union's Amisom peacekeeping troops, who have helped drive Islamist al Shabaab rebels out of Mogadishu and many other strongholds in central and southern Somalia.
Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and international backers will sign up to a "new deal compact" at Monday's conference, committing them to a series of goals in the areas of inclusive politics, security, justice, economy and services.
International donors are also expected to pledge aid in support of Somalia's reconstruction. EU officials would not say how much they expect to be pledged, but one EU source said any figure above one billion euros would be "a significant success".
About 50 delegations will take part in the meeting, including African countries, the United States, Japan, China and Gulf countries as well as EU states.
Somalia will also on Monday join the Cotonou agreement, the framework for the EU's relations with countries in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific, making it eligible for aid from the European Development Fund. The EU has previously pledged 1.2 billion euros for Somalia between 2008 and 2013. It has also launched several missions to help Somalia strengthen its security, including a counter-piracy force and a mission to train the Somali military.
Posted by: Steve White ||
09/15/2013 00:00 ||
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Well, the EU could use the cash...
LOL.... in which I am reminded of Ernest T. Bass' first appearance before the Justice of the Peace of Mayberry.
Andy: Ernest that'll be 30 days or 30 dollars.
Ernest: Well, I could use the vacation, but Ima gettin married so I'll take the moneeeee.
[An Nahar] The president of Zanzibar on Saturday urged islanders to mobilize in the wake of two attacks that have seen British tourists and a Catholic priest doused with acid.
"We cannot continue living in fear and have people being targeted by thugs using acid," said Ali Mohammed Shein, the president of the semi-autonomous Tanzanian archipelago.
"The criminal network must be destroyed, and people should help end this problem," he told news hounds after visiting a hospital treating a local priest who was attacked on Friday.
The elderly priest, Amselmo Mwangamba, was burned by the acid on his face, chest and arms, as he walked on the streets of Stone Town, the historical center of the capital of the archipelago.
Zanzibar's police commissioner, Mussa Ali Mussa, said some suspects had been questioned but no arrests had yet been made.
"But we shall get them," he said.
Last month, two young British women were attacked with acid thrown by men on a cycle of violence, prompting Zanzibari officials to offer a $6,000 (4,500 euros) reward for information leading to the arrest of the suspects.
They also described that attack as "a shame on the people of Zanzibar". The attackers have yet to be caught.
Tourism is the main foreign currency earner for Zanzibar, famed for its white-sand beaches and historical buildings in Stone Town, listed as a world heritage site by UNESCO.
Tensions between the majority Musselmen population and Christians -- some three percent of the 1.2 million people on the islands -- have risen in recent years, as well as on mainland Tanzania.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/15/2013 00:00 ||
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Yemen's rights minister said on Saturday that she will press for the minimum age of marriage to be raised to 18, after the reported death of a young girl on her wedding night.
It's sad, very sad, that it takes an outrage for people to do the right thing. This would indeed be the right thing.
Eight-year-old Rawan was said to have died last week from internal bleeding after sexual intercourse, following her marriage to a man in his 40s in the northeastern province of Hajja.
But the provincial governor denied the reports that Rawan had died.
Huriya Mashhoor told AFP she wanted to revive a bill that has lain dormant since 2009, which would have set the minimum age for marriage at 17, and amend it to raise the age to 18. Activists say the bill was shelved when ultraconservative lawmakers from Al Islah party blocked it.
In Yemen, I think that means gunfire...
"I wrote to the president of the chamber of deputies to re-file on the parliamentary agenda the bill limiting the age of marriage," she said, adding that she would defend it in the cabinet.
"We are asking to fix the legal age for marriage at 18, as Yemen is a signatory to the international conventions on children's rights," said Mashhoor.
The minister spoke a day after the government formed a committee to investigate reports about the girl's death.
But the governor of Hajja province told official news agency SABA on Saturday that Rawan was still alive. Ali Al Qaissi told Saba that "the young girl Rawan Abdo Hattan is still alive and normally lives with her family who, in turn, deny the whole thing".
"Lies! All lies!"
But he added that "the young girl is currently in a social protection centre after undergoing physical and psychological tests in a public hospital" in the area.
"She's getting better..."
Before the denial from the governor, Mashhoor had said: "We do not have enough evidence at the moment" about the incident.
"But I am worried that there could be an attempt to silence the matter, especially as it took place in an isolated rural area in Hajja province where there have been similar cases before".
"If the case was confirmed and covered up, then the crime would be more serious," Mashhoor warned.
European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said on Friday that she was "appalled" by the girl's alleged death, and urged the government to outlaw the practice.
Catherine is appalled by lots of things, but she's correct to be appalled by this...
Mashhoor has been involved in a campaign against the marriage of child brides in Yemen, ravaged by years of strife and widespread poverty. There is no clear definition in the country of what constitutes a child, making it difficult to battle the practice.
Most civilized countries have figured out what a child is. Just saying...
Human Rights Watch said on Wednesday that 14 per cent of girls in Yemen are married before the age of 15, and 52 per cent before 18, citing Yemeni and 2006 data from the United Nations. In certain rural areas, girls as young as eight are sometimes given in marriage to men much older than they.
The problem caused worldwide outrage in 2010, with the case of Nujod Mohamed Ali. She had been married at the age of 10 to a man 20 years her senior in 2008, and was granted a divorce after he sexually abused and beat her.
Ali became involved in campaigns against forced underage marriages, leading to calls to ban women from marrying before the age of 18.
Before the unification of Yemen in 1990, the legal age of marriage was set at 15 in the north and 16 in the south. But legislation in the united country does not specify any age limit.
Posted by: Steve White ||
09/15/2013 00:00 ||
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The Amir of Kuwait, His Highness Shaikh Sabah Al Ahmed Al Sabah, said on Friday he asked President Barack Obama to speed the process of releasing two countrymen held at the United States military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Sure, no problem, all yours. But if either of them ever kills an American, Amir, we'll take the life of your eldest son. Now then, how's that for a deal?
Obama earlier this year announced a renewed effort to close the facility, a goal he originally set at the beginning of his presidency in 2009, saying its existence has darkened Americas image abroad while costing the United States tens of millions of dollars that could be better spent at home. Congress thus far has thwarted his efforts.
Shaikh Sabah said he discussed the continued detention of the Kuwaiti detainees with Obama during an Oval Office meeting and asked President Obama to speed up the process of releasing them in line with the presidents commitment of closing down Guantanamo.
Obama did not mention Guantanamo during remarks by both leaders to the media after the meeting. The civil war in Syria topped the list of discussion points, Obama said, adding that they also talked about peace negotiations between the Israelis and the Palestinians, Iraq and other regional economic issues.
I'm sure they accomplished a lot, too...
Caitlin Hayden, a spokeswoman for the White House National Security Council, said afterwards that Obama reiterated to the Amir his commitment to closing Guantanamo and stressed that the United States shares the goal of seeing the detainees returned to Kuwait. The governments also agreed to have a Kuwaiti delegation travel to Washington and Guantanamo for further discussions on the matter, she said. No dates were given.
The US is committed to remaining engaged with Kuwait on this issue and to achieving the conditions necessary to facilitate the responsible transfer of these two individuals, Hayden said.
Kuwaits two remaining prisoners at Guantanamo Faez Al Kandari and Fawzi Al Odah have been accused of belonging to a terrorist group. Kuwait has built a rehabilitation center to reintegrate them into society, but it sits idle.
They don't need rehab, they need tracking devices...
Posted by: Steve White ||
09/15/2013 00:00 ||
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Russia ain't at zero. They invaded Georgia not too long ago, and seem to like bomber overflights, likely involved in training camps and have been supplying Syria for some time; diplomatic arena tossing anti-missile systems out of Eastern Europe as well as gathering UK military secrets from..the US. They do seem to be on the side of stability, and will back a protectorate to the hilt as recently advertised.
For instance, say you are Kazakhstan, and jihadis are trying to topple your government. On one hand, you have a major US airbase and on the other you have neighbor Russia. If it were me, the US would give me money and logistic support, but they are on their way out and have no real commitment other than their own interests in Afghanistan. If I knew war was coming against a rebellion, I know Russia will be there with arms and supplies no matter how gruesome it gets.
I think the eerie silence I hear is China. They stuck a finger in the water, but seem to be back in the dark corner with arms folded.
The chief South Korean and U.S. negotiators say it is too early to resume six-party nuclear talks with North Korea, dashing Chinese hopes that they can start soon before the hermit country retreats into its shell.
South Korea's chief representative Cho Tae-yong met with the U.S. special representative for North Korea policy Glyn Davies in Seoul on Tuesday. "It would be possible to resume the six-party talks, only if [North Korea] reaffirms that the goal of the talks is to achieve its denuclearization and if [the other parties] agree that the talks will bear fruition for denuclearization," Cho told reporters afterwards.
Davies added, "Right now, we simply do not see positive attitude of North Korea toward fulfilling its obligations and commitments to living up to UN Security Council resolutions The obstacle to resuming six-party talks remains very much that North Korea continues to assert its nuclear status."
Xi told his U.S. counterpart Barack Obama in St. Petersburg last Friday he hopes the six-party talks will resume "at an early date."
Posted by: Steve White ||
09/15/2013 00:00 ||
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Two year old story in WaPo. Worth the read. Hat tip to Chuck Simmins.
Posted by: Steve White ||
09/15/2013 00:00 ||
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I heard this, and it'd been downplayed by the media.
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
09/15/2013 0:18 Comments ||
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#2
...the American MSM left views the concepts of honor, integrity and selflessness as anachronistic concepts in the abstract and, therefore, not meriting attention...
Those of us who wrote checks to "Uncle Sugar" by merit of our oaths understand full-well what these words mean as well as look to those whose were cashed as inspirations in true heroism...
[Dawn] The Sindh government has decided that five cop shoppes in Bloody Karachi ...formerly the capital of Pakistain, now merely its most important port and financial center. It is among the largest cities in the world, with a population of 18 million, most of whom hate each other and many of whom are armed and dangerous... , one each in the five districts of Karachi division, will be under the joint control of Rangers and police to deal with four types of heinous crimes, said the chief law officer of the province on Friday.
The suspects incarcerated I ain't sayin' nuttin' widdout me mout'piece! on charges of "terrorism, assassination, kidnapping for ransom and bhatta (extortion)" during the ongoing targeted operation would be kept and interrogated at the five designated cop shoppes, said Advocate General for Sindh Barrister Khalid Javed Khan.
Speaking to Dawn, the AG said the investigation officer of the case would be a police official who would submit challans (charge-sheets) to the court concerned.
The temporary arrangement had been made till the federal government made necessary amendments to the Anti-Terrorism Act of 1997 and other federal laws under which cases of heinous crimes would be automatically handed over to joint investigation teams (JITs).
Mr Khan believed it would not create any legal or other complications but added that under the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), the FIR should be registered at the place of occurrence of the crime.
He said that a government-formed committee with him, minister for parliamentary affairs and others as members had submitted proposed amendments to the federal laws.
"We have forwarded proposals for amendment to the CrPC and the ATA though we have some reservations over preventive and detective areas of the law," said the AG without elaborating further.
"So, it would take time as the federal government would have to study the proposals before giving a go-ahead but let me assure you that the proposed amendments are not draconian," said Mr Khan, hoping the amendments would help improve the existing security situation.
Sindh minister for parliamentary affairs Dr Sikandar Mandhro said the proposed amendments mainly pertained to more powers for Rangers.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/15/2013 00:00 ||
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Pentagon Press Secretary George Little gave a vague answer when asked if U.S. troops were prepared to assist should an international agreement allow Russia to take control of the tons of chemical weapons believed to be in the stockpiles of President Bashar al-Assad.
"I'm not going to speculate on who may or may not be participating in a process that may or may not take place," Little said. "We've got to see where the process goes" before the U.S. military considers involvement, he said. ....Interesting phrasing....
HT: Drudge
#1
Little to worry about here. The Russians will not allow US weapons experts to examine Syrian Chem/Bio stocks. If they do, it will only be a notional, media event. Risking the identification of former Iraqi munitions is not something either the Russians or The Champ Regime want to take place.
Imagine the outrage and embarrassment if the evil Bushitler invasion of Iraq suddenly became justified due to the discovery of chemical weapons manufactured by Saddam.
#4
Just remember these basic characteristics when making policy:
The governments of Syria, Iraq, and Iran are composed of pathological liars, thieves, and psychos.
If the world is concerned about chem weapons in Syria, then they can do something about it. We have carried their water long enough. Let them do a bit of lifting themselves.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
09/15/2013 22:22 Comments ||
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Congress can breathe a sigh of relief: Lawmakers likely wont have to take a tough vote on authorizing the use of military force in Syria anytime soon.
They won't be asked to take a tough vote on anything...
The preliminary agreement between the United States and Russia on turning over Syrias chemical weapons by mid-2014 sets a deadline of November of this year for international inspectors to enter the Middle Eastern country.
The delay will allow Capitol Hill to do nothing as usual pivot from an unpopular decision on military strikes which many members in both parties opposed to instead confront a pair of looming fiscal crises, funding the government and raising the debt ceiling.
Senators said last week that the growing opposition to military strikes among members of Congress did not give either party the upper hand on economic issues, but admitted Syria threatened to become a major distraction on the Hill.
The pressure of a high-stakes vote had intensified as it became increasingly clear that President Barack Obama would lose in the House and faced an uphill battle in the Senate. The possibility of a diplomatic solution emerged after Kerry made what appeared to be an off-hand comment in Europe last week suggesting Syria could avoid military strikes if the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad turned over its stockpiles of chemical weapons to the international community.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) temporarily pulled a limited, 90-day strike on Syria on Wednesday from the floor of the Senate. A GOP aide said Saturday that any renewed effort in the upper chamber would likely necessitate another direct ask from Obama, who has said that he told the Senate to temporarily shelve the measure.
At which point it will fail, since Obama isn't too good at asking for anything...
Were ready to bring it to the floor at a moments notice, a Senate Democratic aide said. But for the moment, were letting the diplomatic process play out.
Brave words for a party that's running scared.
Posted by: Steve White ||
09/15/2013 00:00 ||
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Getting stale already, football season has arrived soon Christmas, then something else, maybe an Eid or something.
[An Nahar] Syria's opposition National Coalition on Saturday named a moderate Islamist as its interim prime minister, in a key step towards forming a government.
Ahmad Toameh, elected during an opposition meeting in Istanbul, replaces Ghassan Hitto who resigned in July after just four months in the post without managing to form an opposition cabinet from among the fractious group.
Toameh, a 48-year-old dentist by training, now faces the arduous task of cobbling together a government to govern the regions in Syria under rebel control.
He vowed to form a cabinet that will work on the ground alongside rebels fighting the regime of Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad Leveler of Latakia... , including to organize the distribution of humanitarian aid in the war-torn country where more than 110,000 people have been killed and millions displaced since the start of the crisis in March 2011.
He vowed that "a new republic will be established in Syria... It will be a humane republic, where there will be no room for killers and criminals... no room for any denial of civil rights".
He received 75 votes, with 10 voting against him and 12 representatives filing blank ballots.
The National Coalition has been led since early July by Ahmad al-Jarba, a tribal chief and veteran dissident who fled abroad in August 2012 after being released from a second stint in the regime's jails.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/15/2013 00:00 ||
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[An Nahar] Iran's deputy foreign minister said Saturday the United States no longer has a pretext to attack Syria, following a deal struck to eliminate that country's chemical weapons.
"The new situation means in fact that any pretext for the United States and certain countries to engage in military action against Syria has been removed," Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said.
His was the first reaction from Tehran -- a key ally of Syrian Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad Light of the Alawites... -- to the ambitious deal, struck between U.S. Secretary of State John F. I was in Vietnam, you know Kerry Former Senator-for-Life from Massachussetts, self-defined war hero, speaker of French, owner of a lucky hat, conqueror of Cambodia, and current Secretary of State... and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Geneva.
"We can even talk of a success by the front of the resistance (against Israel)" -- Iran, Syria, Leb's Hezbollah and the Paleostinian group Hamas, always the voice of sweet reason,, Amir-Abdollahian said.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/15/2013 00:00 ||
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[An Nahar] The countdown has begun on a dangerous, tough mission to eliminate Syria's chemical weapons, with the regime given just seven days to lift the veil on its secret stockpile and allow inspectors into the war-torn country.
In whirlwind, round-the-clock diplomacy in Geneva, the United States and Russia hammered out a landmark framework for dismantling and destroying one of the world's largest stockpiles of chemical arms.
By next Friday Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad Horror of Homs... faces his first litmus test of the seriousness of his regime's stated commitment to bring its deadly chemical arms under international control.
The deal hammered out in Geneva has to go first to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons to be agreed, but within seven days Assad must put on the table a full declaration of the extent of his long secret program.
The United States believes Syria is dotted with some 45 sites connected to the chemical weapons program -- of which nearly half contain "exploitable chemical agents" for mixing toxic gasses.
Questions remain over whether the U.S. and Russia can meet their goal of removing and destroying some 1,000 metric tonnes by mid-2014, but U.S. experts emerging from three days of non-stop talks with Russian counterparts insist it can be done.
"It's very, very difficult, but it's doable," said one U.S. administration official, with another calling it an "ambitious" timetable.
Under the plan, arms inspectors and experts must be given immediate access to the sites in question to begin neutralizing them and locking them down. And all initial inspections of sites are due to be completed by November.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/15/2013 00:00 ||
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#1
As per FREEREPUBLIC, the Syrian Rebs are claiming Bashir's covertly sneakily moving 'em to locales IRAQ + LEBANON???
[An Nahar] U.S. President Barack Obama I am not a dictator!... welcomed the deal reached Saturday to strip Syria of chemical weapons but said much remains to be done and Damascus must comply with the accord.
In a statement, Obama said that if the regime of Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad Scourge of Qusayr... does not live up to the deal Washington reached with Syria's ally Russia, "the United States remains prepared to act."
Right. What's he gonna do, play 18 instead of 36?
Obama said the accord was made possible 'in part' by what he called his credible threat to use force against Syria as punishment for its alleged use of chemical weapons against civilians last month.
The new accord gives Syria a week to provide details of its chemical weapons stockpiles, and says Syria must give international inspectors unfettered access to them with the goal of removing them by the middle of next year.
"While we have made important progress, much more work remains to be done," Obama said.
"The United States will continue working with Russia, the United Kingdom, La Belle France, the United Nations ...an idea whose time has gone... and others to ensure that this process is verifiable, and that there are consequences should the Assad regime not comply with the framework agreed today. And, if diplomacy fails, the United States remains prepared to act," the president added.
Obama had said earlier on Saturday he was willing to give diplomacy a chance to help resolve the Syrian crisis, but warned the military option was still on the table.
U.S. Secretary of State John F. I was in Vietnam, you know Kerry Former Senator-for-Life from Massachussetts, self-defined war hero, speaker of French, owner of a lucky hat, conqueror of Cambodia, and current Secretary of State... and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov were engaged in a third day of talks following Moscow's surprise initiative to finalize an agreement on eliminating Assad's chemical weapons.
"We are not just going to take Russia and Assad's word for it. We need to see concrete actions to demonstrate that Assad is serious about giving up his chemical weapons," Obama said in his weekly address.
"And since this plan emerged only with a credible threat of U.S. military action, we will maintain our military posture in the region to keep the pressure on the Assad regime."
Posted by: Fred ||
09/15/2013 00:00 ||
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#1
He hasn't learned to keep his yap shut, has he?
Barry's team couldn't direct a slight sprinkle without calling for help. Moscow's surprise initiative, bull. It was no surprise, I watched Kerry's ramble live and the second he said that, the move was too obvious. They snubbed the initial Russian diplomatic mission in order to push a vote, then suddenly Kerry. No, the danger here is that Team Oh is going to prove they are tuff guyz and do something dumberer.
#7
Yes, the [totally out of character] congressional vote was simply a delaying tactic. The regime knew that had no chance of getting any military action through the congress. The entire congressional effort and threat of force was very, very poor theater. The regime couldn't even get General Dempsey and the military solidly on board. The delay however, enabled the Russian "surprise" to be constructed as well as keep the scandal meeting from pegging again.
The embarrassing "red line" and congressional vote are no longer being discussed. Champ is seen as a savvy diplomat, and the ball is back in the feckless UN court.
Time to hit the links, have a beer, and smoke a Lucky Strike.
The United States is setting an unrealistic timeframe for Syria to hand over its chemical weapon arsenal, a senior Russian lawmaker said Saturday as Moscow and Washington entered a third day of talks.
The demand by the United States to hand over chemical weapons to international control in two or three weeks is simply unprofessional, Alexei Pushkov, the head of the Russian parliaments foreign affairs committee, wrote on Twitter. In Syria there are at least 42 storage facilities, some of them in battle zones."
I bet the Israelis could blow them all up in a week. Why don't we ask them?
US officials said Friday that the White House expected that it would take around two weeks to discover whether the Russian-led initiative to take President Bashar Al Assads chemical weapons under international control was viable.
The United States and Russia are negotiating over how much time Syria can be given to comply with the terms of the international convention banning chemical weapons and declare its full stockpile.
US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov were set to meet for a third day of complex talks in Geneva seeking to reach a deal on eliminating Syrias chemical weapons stocks.
John'll get played again...
Posted by: Steve White ||
09/15/2013 00:00 ||
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#1
I bet the Israelis could blow them all up in a week. Why don't we ask them?
#5
Fifty-odd years you wouldn't have heard squat until the deal and side-deals were inked. Now you have the respective media from all the sides cackling away.
There's a reason why there's a kid's table at family meals. Too bad the US political industry forgot that.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
[An Nahar] The president of Zanzibar on Saturday urged islanders to mobilize in the wake of two attacks that have seen British tourists and a Catholic priest doused with acid.
Yemen's rights minister said on Saturday that she will press for the minimum age of marriage to be raised to 18, after the reported death of a young girl on her wedding night.
The chief South Korean and U.S. negotiators say it is too early to resume six-party nuclear talks with North Korea, dashing Chinese hopes that they can start soon before the hermit country retreats into its shell.
Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir 
Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir 
[An Nahar] U.S. President 
